If you are planning a move to Atlanta and wondering where you should or should not live, this is the video for you! Today we are talking about the 10 worst neighborhoods in Atlanta!
Living in Atlanta
It’s always easy to talk about the best places to live, work and play in Atlanta. I am often asked about the worst neighborhoods in Atlanta. My intention is simply to answer that question and provide information that is helpful. Yes, Atlanta is an awesome place full of really great people, but just like every major city in the world, there are some areas that are not as desirable for lots of reasons. And sadly even in these areas there are still good hard working people who wish things were better in their neck of the woods. So Before you get all worked up and blame the messenger (me), please know that this list is based on a few pieces of data and not my opinions. It’s based on crime, unemployment, median income and median home values in each neighborhood. All of this information is public record.
#10 Cascade Heights
Let’s start our countdown with number 10: Cascade Heights. Cascade Heights hasn’t always been on this list. At one point Civil rights leader John Lewis and Hank Aaron lived here. The area now has an unemployment rate of over 10% and is plagued with weak public schools. A positive for the neighborhood is that it is centered on the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve.
#9 Sandtown
Number 9 is Sandtown in Southeastern Atlanta. The median income here is just over $36,000. There is a lack of jobs here resulting in an unemployment rate of over 11%. The housing is affordable here at a median cost of $91,000. Investors have been buying up properties to rehab and resell.
#8 Oakland City
Number 8 is Oakland City. It was actually number 6 last year so maybe things are improving. Even with high unemployment and low income for those who are employed, Oakland City is working hard to maintain a historical connection with the Oakland City Historic District. Oakland City is often on the list of most dangerous neighborhoods sadly.
#7 Grove Park
Number 7 is Grove Park. Grove Park is located inside the perimeter in the NW corner of Atlanta. Only 31% of the residents here own their home, and 25% of the homes are worth $50k or less. There is very little retail in the area, but there are current efforts to revitalize the neighborhood. Its also very close to the new Westside Park.
#6 Adams Park
Adams Park is number 6 on our list. Located in the SW corner of Atlanta and home to some of the oldest homes in the city. Despite being one of the most dangerous areas of the city, Adams Park has a higher percentage of homeowners than renters and has a higher average household income than most of the other neighborhoods on this list at over $50,000.
#5 Adair Park
Number 5 is Adair Park where there are actually 2 parks named for the neighborhood. Adair Park 1 and Adair Park 2. The crime rate in this neighborhood is 138% higher than the City of Atlanta as a whole. The violent crime rate is exceptionally high. The unemployment rate is right at 14%.
#4 Mechanicsville
Number 4 worst neighborhood in Atlanta is Mechanicsville. A very small percentage of the residents here own their homes. The area is plagued with crime. Mechanicsville has the lowest median income at just over $18,000. Despite being so close to Downtown, good jobs are hard to find.
#3 Lakewood Heights
Lakewood Heights is Number 3. Located in SE Atlanta on the Beltline, residents say they hear gunshots nightly. It’s also a center of television and movie production for the city, but unemployment is still double digits here.
#2 Center Hill
Center Hill is number 2 on the worst neighborhoods in Atlanta list. It’s no surprise that it also has the lowest median home value. What is a surprise is that there is a stretch of amenities along Hwy 78. Kudos to the residents here for having a strong neighborhood association that works hard to try to make it a better place to live.
#1 Adamsville
We have reached our #1 spot on our list of worst neighborhoods in Atlanta. It’s Adamsville. It has the city’s worst unemployment rate at over 15%. Adamsville actually climbed 6 spots from last year’s list. Located on the W side of Atlanta, 42% of the households are led by single mothers. 95% of the children here are living in poverty, and high crime.
Again, please remember that this list is not my opinion, but based on data. Sadly the common denominators on our list making these the worst neighborhoods in Atlanta, are high crime rate, high unemployment, low income and low property values. It seems that once the decline begins the momentum just pulls the neighborhood down. The good hardworking people who remain find it difficult to fight for the neighborhood businesses, schools and residents, despite efforts from law enforcement and community organizations. And when developers come in and purchase the low valued properties, residents are often forced out due to low income and higher property values.
If I can help you in any way please give me a call, shoot me a text or send me an email! I make lots of videos about what its like living in Atlanta. You can watch them on my Youtube channel here! If you are interested in learning about the worst places to live in Georgia, I made a specific video that you can watch here.
